The Government have published some new guidance on Possession Hearings which includes the new step of a review hearing, conducted over the phone, which is intended to determine whether the landlord’s case should proceed to a substantive hearing at a later date.
You will be expected to provide a review bundle 14 days in advance of the review hearing which would need to be served to the tenants as well as provided to the courts. The bundle would include amongst other things the particulars of the claim as well as details of how COVID has affected the landlord and how it has affected the tenant.
The addition of this new step which is intended to help move the backlog of cases that the courts are currently dealing with has been met with some criticism from landlord groups as it has been seen to add yet another stage to a quite long process, more work and additional delays.
COVID has had a huge impact on all our lives and landlords and tenants have been hit particularly hard. If you are have a tenant who is falling behind with their rent or you are considering ending a tenancy and would like some advice please contact us on privaterentedservice@newcastle.gov.uk